An American acquaintance once reacted quite shocked when he heard of this soup for the first time: 'Wow, is that similar to stone soup?' he quipped, referring of course to the famous fairytale by the Bros. Grimm. I can see his point... who first thought of making a soup from a condiment anyway? At any rate, this regional speciality from Groningen is delicious, and that's all that counts. I'd like to say a big thank you to Mr. Boom, from Groningen, for sharing his recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup bacon lardons (150 g)
- 1 medium-sized shallot, finely chopped
- 3 1/2 tbsp butter (50 g)
- 1 tbsp grainy Groninger mustard (or other grainy mustard)
- 1 tbsp smooth Groninger mustard (or other smooth mustard)
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 cup sifted flour (50 g)
- 4 1/5 cups chicken stock (1 liter)
- 1/2 cup cream or creme fraiche (100 ml)
- Salt & pepper
- TO DECORATE:
- freshly chopped chives, cress or sauteed leeks
Preparation:
Fry the bacon in a frying pan until crisp. Allow to drain on kitchen paper. In a separate pot, sautee the shallot in the butter. Add mustard and -seed. Now add the flour and slowly pour in the stock to create a smooth emulsion (called a roux). Allow to cook for a minute or two. Now add the cream. Season and taste. Ladle the soup into bowls or soup plates and garnish with the cripsy bacon bits and freshly chopped chives, cress or sauteed leeks.
Serves 4.
